Electrical connector assembly sealing grommet

Abstract

A sealing grommet for sealing the wires extending from contacts, retained in a dielectric insert of an electrical connector assembly, to protect the contacts from moisture. The sealing grommet 19 has a plurality of axial passages 33 therethrough which communicate with axial bores 7 in the dielectric insert 3 which contains the contacts 5, and wires 27 pass through the passages 33. First sealing webs 37 and second sealing webs 39 extend inwardly from wall 35 towards the axis of the passages 33 and provide a moisture seal for contacts 5 contained within the insert 3 while providing for use of wires of varying diameters in a single grommet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sealing grommet for use in an electrical connector assembly wherein a plurality of electrical contacts are secured within axial bores formed in a dielectric insert, said grommet comprising a molded housing having an abutment face which is adapted to abut the insert, a plurality of axial passages extending through the housing to the abutment face cooperating with the axial bores of said insert, each of said axial passages having a circumferential wall and first and second pairs of resilient sealing webs integral with said housing and extending inwardly from the circumferential wall of each of said passages towards the axis thereof, said second pair of resilient sealing webs being situated between the first pair of resilient sealing webs and the abutment face of the grommet and extending inwardly from the circumferential wall towards the axis thereof a distance greater than said first pair of resilient sealing webs. 
     
     
       2. In an electrical connector assembly wherein a plurality of electrical contacts are retained within axial bores formed in a dielectric insert, and a moisture sealing grommet is provided comprising a housing having a plurality of axial passages therethrough, each said passage having a circumferential wall, through which wires to the contacts pass, and including means for securing the dielectric insert to a face of the moisture sealing grommet in abutting relationship such that the passages of the grommet are coaxial with the bores of the insert, the improvement comprising: a plurality of resilient first sealing webs integral with the housing and extending inwardly from the circumferential wall of each said passage towards the axis thereof, and a plurality of resilient second sealing webs extending inwardly from the circumferential wall of each said passage towards the axis thereof a distance greater than said first webs, said plurality of second webs being situated between at least one of said first webs and the face of the grommet being secured to the dielectric insert.   
     
     
       3. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein both of said second webs are situated between the first webs and the face of the grommet secured to the dielectric insert. 
     
     
       4. In an electrical connector assembly wherein a plurality of electrical contacts are retained within axial bores formed in a dielectric insert, and a moisture sealing grommet is provided comprising a housing having a plurality of axial passages therethrough, each said passage having a circumferential wall, through which wires to the contacts pass, and including means for securing the dielectric insert to a face of the moisture sealing grommet in abutting relationship such that the passages of the grommet are coaxial with the bores of the insert, the improvement comprising: a pair of resilient first sealing webs integral with said housing and extending inwardly from the circumferential wall of each of said passages towards the axis thereof, and a pair of resilient second webs, situated between the pair of first webs and the face of the grommet secured to the dielectric insert, extending inwardly from the circumferential wall of each passage towards the axis thereof a distance greater than said first webs.   
     
     
       5. A grommet for use in moisture sealing a plurality of different diametered electrical wires passing therethrough to an insert of an electrical connector, said grommet comprising: a body having a forward face for abutting against the connector insert and receiving the wires from the connector, a rearward face for passing the wires outwardly from the grommet and a plurality of wire receiving passages extending between the faces, each passage having an axis and a circumferential wall circumposed about the axis;   a first equal sized plurality of resilient sealing webs extending inwardly from the circumferential wall and towards the axis of the passage; and   a second equal sized plurality of resilient sealing webs extending inwardly from the wall and towards the axis of the passage a distance greater than the first plurality of resilient sealing webs, said second equal sized plurality of resilient sealing webs being situated between at least one of said first equal sized plurality of resilient sealing webs and the forward face of the grommet.